August Show!

I have a show coming up in Halifax for the entire month of August...... 
stay tuned for more info:)    http://www.shelaghduffett.com

Painting "Live" Saturday May 13 at Made in the Maritimes, Hydrostone Market

I am very excited to announce that I will be painting "Live" at Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique in the Hydrostone Market this Saturday, May 13 from 11-3 as part of the "Open City" events. Please drop in and say hi and take a look at all the lovely things available. I will have some extra paintings for sale there too.

Lost and Found....thanks to the Internet, a soft hearted woman, a curious woman and a sharp mind!

So once upon a time there was a lovely evening in Halifax not so long ago....about a week to be exact. A fire was set in the outdoor pit and the logs being a bit damp were not co-operating...
My friend M said "Hey! Ive got just the thing" She disappeared inside and came out with a large piece of black foam core and proceeded to fan the wimpy flames.

I stopped her and said what on earth is that, who are they and where did it come from? 

She said "Isnt it interesting! I have no idea who they are and didn't have the heart to throw it out. It arrived with my things after I moved here. 

She had put her furniture in storage in Vancouver in 2011 and went to Ireland. The next year she had them shipped to Kingston, Ontario where they sat again in storage for a couple of years and then here to Nova Scotia. Some things were broken and some missing and then there was this picture of a smiling couple with well wishes for a lovely move to BC. The moving company went bankrupt and she had no way of finding the couple.

I said "I wonder if they are still together ?... they would love this back I bet.  Let me put out a call on Facebook, post this picture and see if anyone might recognize them."

It was shared 83 times! A good friend of mine decided to do some sleuthing on her own based on the names signed on the card. She spent an entire morning piecing together a network of connections and relatedness and determined they were now in Ontario and then..... she figured out who they were!! She sent me their facebook pages and even got their phone number! Here they are today! Ed and Barb Stronks from Guelph Ontario!

I now have their address and will ship this off to them next week:) Crazy, it went from BC to Kingston then spent a few years in Nova Scotia and now will go back to Ontario!  they are thrilled.The power of the internet!

GIVEAWAY and BOGO Sale!

Huge sale in my Etsy Shop!

Buy a print and get one FREE until April 9

and.... I will draw a name from those who purchase during this sale and you will win 4 MORE prints for FREE ($100 value!) Lots of new images in my shop.

How to claim your BOGO... Buy a print or prints and then at checkout in *Notes to seller* tell me which print or prints you want for FREE :) Easy. Pretty good odds on winning the 4 prints!  Purchase here ----> http://www.aliceinparis.etsy.com

How bout an Easter print? :)

 

Alice's Album

This is my grandmother Alice whom I named by biz after:)  AliceinParis! Here she is about 16 years old. I recently found a small Autograph Album of hers buried in a box of old photos. This album is almost 100 years old! There is a tremendous innocence to some of the entries by her pals.and incredible talent! This book must have been kept overnight in order to do this water colour sketch of the Brig o Balgownie in Aberdeen, Scotland.

And this corner of a page folded over:)And check this one out. Wow. There were bits of red pencil scribbles throughout. My father's handiwork as a kid. Ha ha.  

I had an autograph book when I was 12. I can still remember what some kids wrote in it. Are they a thing of the past? What a great memento to have.

 Follow me now at SHELAGHDUFFETT.COM

Follow me now at SHELAGHDUFFETT.COM

Spring will be here soon...

 We are still in the clutches of winter! One more week until Spring…. I went for a walk yesterday and the lakes are still skimmed with ice. Tonight we are getting a huge rain storm which will start as snow and then fingers crossed  will turn to rain. It is pummeling the East Coast of the US right now as snow. I am going to make this Lemon Lentil Soup to warm things up quickly:) I make it without the feta and dill but those would take it over the top! It is still DELICIOUS without.  Here is the recipe sent to my by one of my painting students, Judy. Thanks!

To be honest, I just dump everything in the pot together. No sauteing, I don’t use the oil and I also use a generous squirt of Siracha instead of the chili flakes:) Because I don’t add the feta and dill, I  only add the juice of one lemon. And I use the zest of the entire lemon, haven’t measured to see how much it was. Sooo very good. Enjoy
Please start following me at ShelaghDuffett.com I blog there and will shutting down this site at some point....

Starts with a Sketch

Actually it starts with an idea… then pencil to paper. I was looking through an old sketchbook and had a little trip down memory lane. I remembered doing these and it was interesting to see which ones became paintings. This one below for example…became this one! Available to buy here in my Etsy shop. There are loads of mini sketches and scrawls and ideas and things yet to be painted. I also have lists and thoughts and info I want to remember jotted down. Do you have a sketch book you drop your thoughts and creative bursts into?

Please pop over to ShelaghDuffett.com and follow me there.

 I will eventually be easing away from this blogger platform..

Breakfast of Champions...

or losers....haha. Tea and toast!  (with peanut butter no less) The clocks sprang forward last night. One of the harbingers of Spring, hooray. But sadly we are in the vicegrip of an Arctic freeze at the moment. -26 windchill this morning!!  The poor wee birds and animals.... It is very demoralizing. I find it almost impossible to motivate myself to do anything that requires being outside. 
I spent last night at a friend's house and she has branches of forsythia blooming on her table. Very uplifting. I think I will do that when I get home. Pick some and plop in a vase of water. They bloom and lift ones spirits! Other peoples houses always seem more interesting! Here's a mortar and pestle in her kitchen. I love how the light hits it just so.  Also.....I have a new WEBSITE and will be blogging there mostly! Pop by and visit! You can get updates via email. All my endeavors in one place...

 www.ShelaghDuffett.com

Elephant Painting

The elephant is a symbol of strength, honor, stability and patience. In the Hindu tradition,, the elephant is found in the form of Ganesha who is the god of luck, fortune, protection and is a blessing upon all new projects.

This beautiful elephant painting is for sale:) 18 x 24 x 1.5" Acrylic on birch wood. Send me an email for more details if you are interested. shelaghduffett@gmail.com
Also available as a print HERE...https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/513286519/elephant-with-flowers-and-starry-sky

The Journey

 “A story has no beginning or end: Arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” Graham Greene. 

"Remember your self always and everywhere." G.I.Gurdjieff